The Tourism Strategy 2027 states that Portugal must position itself as one of the most competitive and sustainable destinations in the world. In this context, the sustainability of tourist destinations is an absolute priority of tourism policy in Portugal.
The creation of sustainability observatories in various regions, which provide in-depth knowledge of the impacts of tourism on the territory and greater efficiency in destination planning and management, is one of the strategic objectives of Turismo de Portugal, aiming to help establish Portugal as an international leader in sustainability.
In this regard, and in pursuit of the defined objectives, in January 2018, the Alentejo Sustainable Tourism Observatory (ASTO) was recognized within the UN Tourism network, the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO). In January 2020, during FITUR, two more observatories were recognized: the Azores Sustainable Tourism Observatory (OTSA) and the Algarve Regional Observatory for Sustainable Tourism (AlgSTO). The Central Portugal Sustainable Tourism Observatory (OTSCP) became a member of the international network in November 2023.
With the accession and recognition of these observatories into the UNWTO Observatory Network, Portugal now has four observatories in the network, which already includes projects from Spain, Croatia, Greece, and Italy at the European level.
In July 2024, Turismo de Portugal established a network comprising the seven regional sustainability observatories, known as Destination Watch, which strengthens collaboration among the regions in monitoring sustainability and developing best management practices in the tourism sector.
More information at UNTourism
